Happy 34th birthday to me! Now that 34 sounds even older than 33 (it’s almost into the next age bracket of 35-55 on surveys!), I’ll get to enjoy even more conversations like this one at the fabric store cutting counter last week:

Me: 1 yard of these two, and half a yard of the batiks, please.50-something Clerk: Ok. What are you working on?Me: A project with my quilt guild.Clerk: [pause] So you’re learning to quilt, huh?Me: Well, not really, I’ve been doing it about 8 years. I do consider myself a beginner, though, definitely not an expert or anything.Clerk: You must have been really small when you started then!Me: I was in my mid-twenties.Clerk: Oh! I thought you were still in your teens!

My new response when somebody tells me that I look 15, or they thought I was 23, or there’s no way I’m 34 haha stop lying now tell us your real age for real this time, is going to be silence. Nothing. I’m not agreeing with them (“Haha I know”) or apologizing (“Yeah, I’m sorry, everybody says that”) or pretending like they’re the first person to say it (“what?? that’s weird, everybody always thinks I’m older than my age”) or responding as though it’s a compliment, which can go on awhile (“thank you, that’s so kind of you to say!” “You really do though!” “How nice, thank you!” “No, I’m not trying to be nice, I really thought you were in college” “Aw, thank you, I’m flattered!” “I’m not trying to flatter you, I’m just saying the truth, you look really young” “You’re too sweet, thank you!”).

Instead, it will be nothing.
“Oh my god no way I thought you were 20!”
“….”

Happy birthday to me!

What I Wore to Work Today: Friday, October 23, 2015Blouse: Ann TaylorCamisole: TargetPants: Banana RepublicShoes: Payless, new